by The Rev. Dr. Max Lynn
SCRIPTURE READINGS Revelation 5:11-14, John 21:1-19
Transcribed from the sermon preached on MAY 4, 2025
Revelation 5:11-14
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!"
14 And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.
John 21:1-19
1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tibe'ri-as; and he revealed himself in this way.
2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathan'a-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zeb'edee, and two others of his disciples were together.
3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing.
4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
5 Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No."
6 He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish.
7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea.
8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread.
10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught."
11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.
13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.
14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."
16 A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."
17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go."
19 (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me."
I read an article by Susan Dominus in the NYT entitled How Nearly a Century of Happiness Research Led to One Big Finding. Published on Thursday it reported on a long study which found, “Good relationships keep us happier and healthier.” “A large study published in 2008 found that those who were more socially engaged — attending church, belonging to organizations — were consistently happier, as were those with large social networks.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/magazine/happiness-research-studies-relationships.html
I appreciate the scientific study on positive health effects, but for those of us in the church, but it’s a bit like studying Mexican food and finding out it is fattening. I have also read and experienced that one of the best ways to make yourself feel better is to try and help, try and do something good for someone else. Find a community doing some good and become a part of it.
So here in John’s Gospel, we have this addition to the resurrection story. Jesus appeared to Mary, then again in the upper room, then 8 days later in the upper room to Thomas, and now, we don’t know how much later, to the group of disciples who had gone back up to the lake.
What are they to do now that Jesus has been crucified? Well, Peter says, I’m going fishing. That is what he did before he met Jesus, so he goes back to what he knows. They don’t catch anything all night and then just as it is getting light and they are close to shore, a stranger tells them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat.
They catch a huge load.
It is, as John’s whole Gospel is, a bit mysterious. It is Jesus but for some reason it is hard to tell it is Jesus. They get a pretty good idea when they recreate the great fish catch. Peter, who is naked fishing in the boat, puts his clothes on to jump in the water: in his excitement he is unable to wait for the boat to get back to shore.
What is the first thing Jesus says to them when they get to shore? Come, breakfast is ready. But they don’t get the whole reality until they sit down and eat with him.
This resurrection story reminds us of a few other stories in the Gospel. It is here by the lake where the disciples first catch a great load of fish, and Jesus says, follow me, and I will make you fishers of people. It is here by the lake that Jesus feeds the five thousand.
Then Jesus poses three questions for Peter. And this may remind us of something else Peter does three times. Before Jesus is arrested, Peter says he is willing to die for Jesus. After Jesus was arrested, he denies knowing Jesus three times. No, I don’t even know the man, Peter says, afraid of being dragged along to suffer with Jesus. Then, ashamed, he breaks down weeping. But as our passage says, weeping may linger for the night, joy comes in the morning.
So gracious as Jesus is, Peter has a chance at redemption. Peter, do you love me. You know I love you. Then feed my sheep.
The disciples are in the dark. The darkness of grief, the darkness of hunger, the darkness of failure, the darkness of denial, and yet none of this darkness overcomes the light. For the risen Christ still enlightens, still calls, still invites us to commune together, still feeds, still calls and empowers even doubters and deniers to ministry.
Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
Now in all of the darkness, nasty talk and threats and vengeance going on in our society today, there is a part of me that is angry and wants to proclaim and prove myself. And honestly there is another part of me that is grieving the loss of who and what I hoped this nation was and that part of me just wants to hide out and go fishing or surfing. A part of me feels a sense of inadequacy for the moment, a sense of powerlessness or hopelessness, maybe frustration or cynicism.
But Lisa Hoffman, director of East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, maybe with a little bit of the risen Christ in disguise, called and asked if St. Johns would offer a new statement on Sanctuary, on our reasons and methods for caring for refugees and immigrants. So, we discussed it in our Mission and Justice Commission and went through several drafts. I thought about trying to address the many offensive aspects of the current administration’s approach: the animosity and name calling, the racism, the divisiveness, the disregard to equality under the law, the scapegoating, the failure to affirm the diversity of our nation as one of its great strengths. The fact that on the one hand some of our foreign policy helped create the corruption and injustice that sends people fleeing their home country, and on the other, so much of the aid being cut, food and development programs help sustain and build goodwill, and rebuild other nations so people won’t have to leave.
The list could go on. And I wanted to argue with half the church that seems to think this kind of thinking and behavior is what Christians are to be about. To remind them that so much of our government aid programs were instituted in large part because Christian citizens had thought a good and prosperous nation should be kind and generous to the less fortunate.
But we finally settled on a simple statement about who we were as Christians, and who we are as a Church. We focus less on the threat and mistakes of others, less on government policy and speak to who we are and what we do. We focus less on doctrine and more on action with real human beings.
A Sanctuary Church Declaration
In March of 1982, St. John’s Presbyterian Church of Berkeley made a declaration that we would welcome and protect refugees fleeing wars in Central America. Since that time, we have entered into relationship with multiple families. Each has a horrible story of fleeing violence and terror. We have formed networks of support, helped with housing, legal aid, transportation, food, work, enrollment, tutoring and scholarships for school.
We have formed friendships and family relations which continue to this day. Children of refugees have been named after members of the church and church members have been named godparents. We have performed and participated in weddings, graduations, plays, worship, music, meals, summer camps, and work together. They are fellow friends, family and brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, the Church. We have helped them, and they have helped us. We have learned what it means to follow the Way of Jesus together.
From our Christian point of view, we are them and they are us, for we too were lost and have been found. We have all been welcomed by the grace of God. We are all children of God. By grace, this is who we are; this is who we will be.
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35).
Jesus’ question and response to Peter is pretty simple. We might think there would be more to it. Do you love me Jesus asks us: Feed my sheep.